Countdown To The 2018 WWE Royal Rumble #4: Surprise Entrants I Wanna See In The Rumbles

The road to WWE Wrestlemania 34 begins this Sunday Night with the 2018 WWE Royal Rumble event.

Over the next week here on Fightful, I will be bringing you a “Countdown To The 2018 WWE Royal Rumble.” During these columns, we will be looking at the past history of the Royal Rumble event and while also previewing this years event as well.

So, without any further ado, here is Day Four of our countdown, as we look at who I would like to see as the surprise entrants in the men's and women's Rumble matches.

(Please Note: This list is not in any particular order or ranking and I am going with 12 women's and 13 men's surprise entrants because that's how many spots are left open in the Rumble matches.)

Women

1. Trish Stratus

There may have been no better female wrestler and star in the WWE than Trish Stratus, who retired a few years back after defeating Lita for the WWE Women’s Title. Trish has popped up a few times since retiring, with the most recent being at Raw 25 this past week. Why not add to the WWE Hall Of Fame members historic career by giving her another accolade to add to the resume.

2. Lita

There would be no Trish Stratus without Lita and there would also be no Lita with Trish Stratus, their long feud has linked them forever in the wrestling history books. While Lita hasn’t popped up as much inside the ring since her retirement, it is something she has teased many times in the past. It would seem that if they are linked together again by competing in the Rumble, it would give the two best friends and former rivals one more thing to celebrate.

3. Stephanie McMahon

Let me make one thing clear about this right off the bat…I would like to see Stephanie McMahon in the Rumble, not winning the Rumble. Although she has already been announced as a part of the broadcast team for the women’s Rumble, it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be in the match. Whether we like her or not and there are a lot of opinions on her TV character, one thing she has helped do is help push women’s wrestling into the best it has ever been in the WWE.

4. AJ Lee

Of all the people I am picking for surprise entrants, this one is admittedly got the least chance of actually happening. Although the way she left the WWE may have had some negative indications to the higher ups within the company (also, you must consider who she is married to), there is no doubt that AJ Lee was one of the most important women in the modern day era of the WWE. CM Punk has stated in past interviews that he doesn’t care if his wife returns to the ring and this may be the most opportune time for her to do so.

5. Ember Moon or Shayna Baszler

WWE NXT Women’ Champion Ember Moon and Shayna Baszler battle for the title this coming Saturday Night at WWE NXT Takeover: Philadelphia. The winner of that match, no matter who it is, should get a spot in the historic women’s Rumble match. If it does wind up being Moon, just imagine the pop she would get if she nails the Eclipse in the match itself.

6 & #7. The Iconic Duo (Peyton Royce & Billie Kaye)

There have been a lot of great female duo’s that have passed through the WWE over the years, but the best of them all may be Peyton Royce and Billie Kaye. The two are currently not scheduled to be wrestling at the WWE NXT Takeover: Philadelphia event the day before the Rumble, but that doesn’t mean they cannot appear the next night in the Rumble itself. Royce and Kaye have been main roster ready for awhile now (in my opinion), which means Sunday Night could be their big moment.

8. Nikki Cross

If there was ever a woman on the main roster or NXT in which the Rumble match was perfectly suited for, it is Nikki Cross. The crazy stuff that Cross has pulled off in her short time in NXT, as a part of Sanity, has been amazing to watch. If you take that craziness and inject it into the Rumble, fans could be in for something truly amazing on Sunday Night.

9. Beth Phoenix

Beth Phoenix is only one of a handful of women to have competed in the men’s Rumble match (Chyna & Kharma being the others), so why not include her in the first ever women’s Rumble. Phoenix currently sits behind the commentators desk, calling the action alongside Michael Cole and Corey Graves for the WWE Mixed Match Challenge. It has been quite a few years since the WWE Hall Of Fame member set foot in the squared circle, so the time may be right for the Glamazon to get the job done again.

10 & 11. The Bella Twins (Nikki & Brie)

Love them or hate them, there is no denying that Nikki and Brie Bella are two of the most important women to ever step foot in a WWE ring. Between the reality shows, return from neck surgery (Nikki) and recently having a baby (Brie), the time is now for a full fledged Bella Twin return. Rumors have been ongoing for a while now stating that both ladies are returning for a program heading into ‘Mania 34, so expect to see one of both competing this Sunday Night.

12. Ronda Rousey

There are twelve women on the list and Ronda Rousey is the only one that has never stepped foot in a WWE or WWE NXT ring. Rousey is a former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and has been rumored to be coming to the WWE for quite some time now. However, much like what I stated earlier with Stephanie McMahon…I am all for Rousey being in the match, but not winning the match.